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Saturday, September 18, 2010

Apple Picking

Here's a quick photo recap of the Pumpkin Fudge that you should all make at some point this fall.

In the past I've found fudge to be tricky - probably because I tend to be impatient and also because for many years I lacked that all important tool, the candy thermometer.

I never seemed to get the hard ball stage quite right.

This time though it all worked out.

Mmmmm fudge.

And the pumpkin flavour in it is kind of subtle. When you know that it's pumpkin fudge you can taste it but I gave John a blind taste test and he couldn't quite put his finger on what the extra flavour was.

Mysterious.

If you've got a candy thermometer USE IT!

Not stirring the bubbling fudge and waiting for the temperature to get up to where you need it to be is definitely a lesson in patience but it's fun to watch the mercury rise

Side note: I hope it's not mercury in my thermometer. Don't they have safer stuff they use nowadays?

Here I am patiently waiting for the candy to hit 235 degrees.

Why am I holding the thermometer like a baster, you ask?

Well, my thermometer is broken. The end of it broke, I'm not quite sure how.

This might be the perfect time to mention that I'm in the market for a new candy thermometer seeing as Christmas is approaching and gift ideas for the cousin gift exchange are useful. Plus you can get a candy thermometer at Kitchen Stuff Plus for under $10.

If you don't have a candy thermometer, you obey the hard ball rule. Dip a spoon into the bubbley-goo that will eventually be fudge and add a drop or two to a glass of cold water. Once the fudge retains it's drop-shape in the water (therefore attaining the much sought after 'hard ball' stage) you are ready to turn off the heat and beat the gloss out of that fudge.

Then you can pour it into a greased pan and wait for it to set so that you can cut yourself a piece and sample your hard work.

In other news, I'm going apple picking today at Chudleighs Apple Farm!I'm going to need to find a Longos supermarket soon though because while browsing through the flyer that came with my free LCBO Food & Drink magazine, I found this advertisement:

Hidden Rose Apples, sold exclusively at Longos. They are freakin' red on the inside and 'taste remarkably like strawberry lemonade'.I want.

I don't think I will find these babies at Chudleighs today but you know what I will find?Free lunch, straigh outta the trees.It's frowned upon, yes, but nuts to that. You gotta know you're picking a delicious type of apple right?

I'm off to make some tea as I seem to have lost my voice from singing at the top of my lungs for several hours at the bar last night.And then to read another 100 pages of Jane Eyre to catch up for my Women's writing class.Eep!

P.S. My friends just bought a house!!! Now I have extra motivation to finish the blanket I'm knitting before Nov. 22 so I can give it to them as a house-warming gift.

So exciting! We're already planning a swanky black-tie affair New Years Party there also.